


Turn that Frown Upside-down

by Choxy



Series: The second padawan [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Birthday, Birthday Cake, Birthday Presents, Cute Kids, Developing Friendships, Fluff without Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:01:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23946616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Choxy/pseuds/Choxy
Summary: Tabitha sees a dejected frown and decides to investigate and do something about it.That's it. That's the whole story behind the beginning of their friendship.
Relationships: Caleb Dume | Kanan Jarrus & Original Female Character(s), Clone Troopers & Original Female Character(s), Obi-Wan Kenobi & Original Female Character(s)
Series: The second padawan [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1594390
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	Turn that Frown Upside-down

**Author's Note:**

> This took way longer than expected and also grew much more than I wanted.  
> So, just a quick warning because I think the tags are the biggest understatement:  
> !This is pure fluff and has no thought behind it!
> 
> Enjoy!  
> (By the way, not proofread. Excuse some mistakes)

Tabitha finds herself interested in something quite a lot and quite often. Her attention span is that of a dog most of the time. She could be paying attention to someone talk and then something else would catch her eye and she'd be totally preoccupied with that. Hence why the conversation would turn into white noise and she would pick up little to no information whatsoever. 

Which is happening right now. And makes her feel like kind of a douche because she started the conversation by asking Commander Grey about a sniper rifle she spied on one of his men. In the beginning, she did pick up a lot of the important stuff: Impressive firepower with a remarkable rate of fire too. The gas cartridges hold more rounds than the ones of an average sniper and said rounds can pierce the sturdy armor of Magna guards. If you ever get the chance to use the weapon against them, that is.  
With all those strengths come consequences though. Without the right protection, the recoil would be enough to break your shoulder blade and fracture your collarbone. The wielder also needs to keep in mind not to shoot too fast in a short period of time otherwise the weapon runs at a high risk of overheating.  
All that information jumbling from Grey's mouth entranced Tabitha but once he launched into the explanation of his men having modified some of the weapons, the downtrodden young face of another padawan stole her interest. 

Her eyes jump to the younger boy's furrowed brows, to his lips pressed into a thin line and the clenched jaw behind still chubby cheeks. That coupled with the way he lets himself flop down onto a secluded rock and scowls up at the orange shimmering evening sky of Dirahn, tells her that Padawan Caleb Dume is upset about… something. 

A sense of worry blossoms in her stomach when she also feels his messy attempts to shield his Force signature away from prying eyes.  
Tabby might not know Caleb well but he doesn't seem like the kind of kid who'd sulk about nothing. 

Though she could be wrong about that since they haven't really exchanged more than a few sentences since Obi-Wan and she landed on the mountainous planet. As reinforcements for Master Billaba's battalion who have chased down a lead on Separatist activity on Dirahn.  
The senate had gotten word from local residents that the Separatists are apparently attempting to set up another base here with the intention to gain ground on Coruscant.  
By another, she means they have tried this before. Barely a week after Geonosis.  
Back then Republic forces reclaimed the core planet and the senate wants exactly that to happen again. However, they can't spare a second whole battalion, and therefore two further Jedi with three lightsabers in whole need to suffice. 

Logical, isn't it?

Anyways, back to the boy turned padawan only recently.  
Now that she thinks about it, their lack of contact might not be due to her inaptness to form new social contacts alone. The brunette boy seemed down during the whole extent of their arrival and introduction too. After that, he just sort of up and disappeared and Tabitha didn't catch sight of him again anywhere around the camp which Billaba's battalion set up a click outside the capital city. 

They're waiting for reconnaissance to return which is why they haven't engaged the droids yet. They need to know the where and the how many before moving in. 

Tabitha isn't concerned about that right now though. The question of why defeat is displayed in Caleb's teal eyes is worrying her much more. 

The fourteen-year-old determines that she is going to figure out the answer and try to help, at all costs. 

Best place to start would be the men who enjoyed the male padawan's company these past few months. 

'Better get started.'

Commander Grey is still droning on about the sniper rifles and their modifications and Tabby actually loathes interrupting him. Because from the snippets she caught, the meticulous work put into those rifles is damn amazing.  
Regardless, finding out what's bothering Caleb is more important. The commander would surely agree.

Clearing her throat quietly, Tabby reluctantly opens her mouth to speak, keeping her voice low enough not to alert Caleb (because in his situation, she'd feel weirded out if a practical stranger asked about her wellbeing).  
"Ehm, Commander?"  
The addressed man shuts his mouth in a matter of seconds, peering at the girl questioningly. With his attention on her, Tabitha continues. Her eyes dart over to the sulking figure of the younger boy momentarily and a frown of her own his pinching her eyebrows together.  
"I'm sorry to interrupt but does…. Does Caleb seem kinda down to you?"  
The clone follows her short glance and catches sight of his commander observing the passing clouds in the sky with a distant scowl. He seems lost in thought, totally oblivious to their worried looks.  
'Just like yesterday.' Grey thinks to himself.  
With a sigh and small shake of his head, the concerned man switches from his commander to the 212th's. He had gotten the impression that those two didn't know each other but the worry in the green eyes of his counterpart says otherwise. Or maybe that's the general care Jedi seem to carry for every living being.  
"Yes. He's been the same yesterday. We've been trying to cheer him up but it's obviously not helping." The clone commander finally replies, shifting his weight to his left foot and crossing his arms over his armored chest.  
"Do you know why?" Tabitha implores.  
Pursing his lips in thought, Grey tries to think of a possible reason. The day before yesterday, the kid had been totally fine, laughing at Big-Mouth's horrible puns and eagerly training with General Billaba. But suddenly, his attitude took a one-eighty and yesterday he started to draw back into a shell of sorts. He lost his usual curious nature and vanished from a room before anyone could start asking him if he was okay. None of them knew the reason for his sudden change of behavior and it's starting to bother them more and more.  
So he shakes his head as an answer.  
"No, unfortunately not. General Billaba might. She's been getting increasingly worried too and said she'd figure something out. Perhaps she got an answer out of him." 

Nodding, Tabitha spares another glance to the younger boy. Maybe she should just ask him but she gets the feeling that if he didn't answer the worried inquiries of his men and master, he'll definitely not talk to her. 

"I'll talk to her then. Maybe I can help." She says with an innocent conviction coating her voice.  
"It's worth a try. You'll find the generals in the command tent." Grey shrugs, pointing to the bigger tent in the middle of their settlement.  
"Thanks, Commander Grey. Oh, and tell your men that's quite impressive work on the snipers. I'm looking forward to seeing them in action." She smiles while walking backward into the direction of the Jedi Masters' whereabouts.  
"Will do, Commander."  
_________

Cautiously, Tabitha pulls back the tent-door and quietly enters, letting it flap closed behind her. 

She can immediately make out the robed figures of the Jedi generals she's been looking for. They're not alone though.  
A squad of camouflaged clone troopers is gathered with them around a holo map of seemingly a larger area around the capital. A few significant points are marked but due to Dirahn being almost completely made out of mountains and forests, Tabby has no clue where or what those markers are. 

Barely any of the occupants spare her a glance and merely continue talking as if she hasn't even come in. So not wanting to disrupt the impromptu meeting taking place, Tabitha shuffles over to her master and positions herself in the empty spot beside him, listening. 

"Most of it is still under construction but their security is tight nonetheless.  
We counted a platoon's worth of droids but we believe there to be more. A good portion of them guard this section of the base." The speaking soldier points at a building-shaped marker on the map.  
'The Separatists' base.'  
It's sitting in a valley between two mountains, conveniently covered in foliage.  
('Good place for snipers. Maybe I will get to see those beauties in action.')  
It's no wonder they've managed to assemble that much of a building already. Hidden from sight in the landscape of Dirahn like that, even the best scanners would have had problems picking up on supply ships and transports weaving through the steep peaks. 

"That fact makes us think that's the command center." The man, probably sergeant of the squad, finishes and retracts his arm back to bis side.  
After a beat of silence Master Billaba speaks up.  
"Good work out there, Sergeant. This will help us greatly. We'll take the rest from here. You and your man are dismissed. Go grab something to eat and get some rest." That last part is said in a tone resembling that of a mother, not that of a general. The men also basically vibrate at the mention of food and sleep. Like, little kids.  
'Cute.' 

"Yes, ma'am."  
Swiftly, the squad files out of the tent and leave the Jedi with the soft sound of the wind rustling the leaves just outside.  
Until Tabitha decides to break the quietness.  
"I take it that was the recon team?"  
Obi-Wan hums, stroking his beard in thought while regarding the dotted map. Tabitha waits for a second but when he doesn't elaborate, she takes initiative.  
"So, they found the base, halfway done. But that." She jabs at the rows of houses but a few clicks away from the enemy-occupied valley. "Doesn't look like the capital to me. Are we gonna move out tomorrow and set up camp there?" The raven implores. She's been part of this sort of campaign before. No real intel. Just a few porous leads. Almost always ends in having to move out and trudge through whatever planet fell victim to the Separatists.  
"Quite right, Padawan." That's Depa Billaba answering. Tabitha will ask about Caleb in just a second.  
"We'll set up camp outside that village and rest there for a day. That close to the target, we'll be able to come up with more accurate strategies."  
True.  
They don't even have Master Billaba's whole battalion down here. Only a 145 men strong company with two Jedi Masters and two Padawans. Odds aren't in their favor if the recon team is right and there is more than one platoon of battle droids. They'll have to be smart about it. 

"Good observations, Little One. But somehow I get the inkling you had another reason to join us so spontaneously?"  
After a bit more than two years, the tiny praise from her master still makes her heart swell and flutter in her chest.  
"Yeah." Rubbing her neck shyly, Tabitha peaks at Master Billaba. "It's… Caleb."  
The woman's demeanor changes immediately. Her intrigue bleeds from her face and she stems both her hands against her hips.  
"It's nothing bad." Tabby quickly reassures when she recognizes the trouble that posture promises. Her hands are raised in a placating gesture and in response Master Billaba's tense stance loosens a bit. "I just noticed, he looks upset." Tabitha reveals a bit saddened. "I talked to Commander Grey about it and he said Caleb was like that yesterday too but no one knows why. I was hoping you could shed some light on it, Master Billaba?" Hopefully, her voice conveys why she's asking. She's worried and wants to help. 

The Chalactan woman sighs languidly and lets her hands fall from her hips. 

Meanwhile, Obi-Wan has torn his focus away from the map and is now paying close attention to their exchange. He, too, had gotten the impression young Caleb might be feeling under the weather but decided to leave it to Depa. That Tabby addresses it so openly… doesn't surprise him, to be honest. He's actually been waiting for her to approach someone -or Caleb himself- and voice her concern for the boy she barely even met. The fourteen-year-old has a big heart and it bleeds for other people easily, until she can help fix whatever's wrong. A blessing and a curse in dire times like these. There's never enough time to help everybody but that doesn't stop her from trying to the best of her ability. 

Now is no different. 

After a short while, in which Depa contemplates on what to say, the Jedi Master finally comes forth with the truth.  
"I can indeed, young one. Caleb's thirteenth birthday is only three days away from now but sadly, we will not be able to return to Coruscant for it. His friends and he always celebrate their birthdays together, however, this might be the first one they can't. I believe that to be the reason for his sour mood."  
A heavy pause.  
"That and the increasing possibility of engaging the Separatists that day. I've tried reassuring him but it hasn't lifted his mood."

"Oh."  
That's really the only thing there is to say. Tabitha's brain had come up with a dozen different reasons and scenarios which weren't all that bad. Kids got upset easily, she should know.  
But that is worse by a tenfold, if not more.  
Tabby couldn't even imagine having to spend her birthday out on the battlefield, away from all of her friends, and losing some in the process.  
Up until now, she had very much luck with her own birthday. They were either already on Coruscant or on their way back that day. 

Not everyone can have that kind of luck though.

The 'room' trails off into silence as all occupants lose themselves in their own thoughts. Maybe they circle around the same subject as Tabby's, maybe not. 

Either way, now that the padawan knows, she can't help but think that there has to be a way to make it better. She won't be able to warp them back to the temple or shorten their stay here by a few days but there must be something that would make it better. Something to cheer him up and make his first birthday as a padawan special despite the poor circumstances. 

'Something like….'

Minutely, her eyes rake around the 'room', searching, while her brain works overtime to come up with a solution.  
What makes a birthday extraordinary? What differs them from other days?  
Cake, is the first thing that springs to her mind but that might be out of her range of possibilities. And just because she loves eating them, it may not help Caleb much. 

So cake is out of the question, she ticks off on a mental list as her eyes shift from the tent walls further down. Over the holo map with artificial images resembling trees, mountains, ponds, and cities to her crossed arms. Out of the blue, a light breeze blows through the tent-door, opening a gap through which a ray of blood-orange sunlight shines. The insignificant ray catches on the slightly scratched material of her white-orange arm braces. The ones she got as a present from the entirety of the 212th almost two years ago and never put away for too long. 

'That's it. A present!'  
Tabitha can feel her features brighten up as an admittedly awesome idea forms in her head. When Cody and the others handed her these protections, she couldn't wipe the smile off her face for days. Chance is, Caleb will love a present from all of them just as much.  
And with all of them, she really means all of them. All 145 men, Master Billaba, Obi-Wan, and herself.  
Arm braces might not suffice for what she's planning out in her head though. Maybe some additional shoulder pads would provide the space needed. 

'Yes, yes. This is perfect!' She cheers in her thoughts after a few moments.

Not only does Tabby have enough time to set everything in motion, but their mission also requires them to take the best route for her to collect what she needs. Maybe once they arrive at the village, the raven can sneak away with some time to buy a small treat for the brunette boy as well. That would be the cherry on top! 

Her body is practically brimming with excitement and eagerness and a smile is emerging on her face when Obi-Wan notices her abrupt change in demeanor.  
"I think my padawan here just got an idea." He remarks with a quirked eyebrow, turning to his padawan fully and letting the hand still stroking his beard sink to the one on his chest. Following his remark, Depa too turns to Tabitha who appears a bit startled at her Master's interruption of her mental scheming. However, the surprise melts from her face in seconds and the same smile as before lights up her cheeks and eyes.  
"I do. I might not be able to get us of Dirahn before Caleb's birthday but I can make it better." She crows happily, backing up towards the tent's entrance with slow strides.  
"Well, would you care to enlighten us?" The ginger male asks hurriedly, amusement splitting his lips into a grin.  
Tabitha stops dead in her tracks and lifts to fingers to her chin, contemplating whether or not to share her idea already.  
The fewer people know about the details right now the better. First, she needs to set her plans into motion than she can let the others in on it. 

But just for the sake of being a little shit about, she decides to tease her master a bit.  
She bends forward a few inches at the hip, stems one hand against it, and juts out the pointer finger of the other. "Will do, but not yet. You sit tight for now. Gotta go. See you later, Masters!" 

She's out the flapping opening of the tent before either of the two perplexed Jedi Masters could question her. They share a look.  
"Is your padawan always like that, Master Kenobi?" Depa questions with the hint of a smile pulling at her lips. She means not only the teasing but the cheery and excursive attitude of hers as well.  
Obi-Wan shakes his head fondly. "Yes. Trust me, Master Billaba, you get used to it."  
_________

Tabitha quickly kneels down next to another pile of pebble stones, rummaging around it and picking out the flat-surfaced, thin ones. Others might question why and she's pretty sure some of the clones are on the verge of doing that. 

Caleb's present is supposed to come from all of them but if they'd all make a piece of armor, he'd have thousands of them. That'd be stupid. Therefore, she figured out a way to bring a piece of everyone onto four armor plates only. 

And that requires 148 pebbles. 

Her idea: She hands out a stone to everyone but Caleb and tells them to paint, carve and form them into any color and shape they want. Everything that would make Caleb happy is allowed. Words, intricate designs, funny shapes, everything. Then once everyone returned their stone and she got a hold of the needed parts of armor and the necessary tools, she'll work the pebbles into the thick material. 37 each.  
With the right equipment and a bit of help, it should easy. Lengthy but easy.

Storing another five even stones into the hip pouch she carries with her for that exact reason, Tabby jumps to her feet and catches up with the on marching company a few feet ahead.  
She managed to wiggle away from the front when they moved out this morning and position herself all the way at the back to collect the stones without raising Caleb's interest. 

At this juncture, she was able to collect about half the number of stones she needs and they still need to hike over rolling hills and through dense forests for a couple more hours. By the time they reach their destination, she should have all the stones she needs. And she should be totally exhausted. 

She slept last night, alright, just not as long as she normally does because she had scribbled down designs for both the armor and the stone she'll make for the other padawan for the better part of five hours. Plus, they have been walking for what feels like half a day already.  
Okay, maybe she's exaggerating here. It's around noon, so four to five hours.

The warm sun is barely filtering through the trees' leaves and the wind isn't either, so the air is uncomfortably stale down here. Sweat is beading on her forehead and for once, Tabby doesn't envy the clones for their armor. They must be baking in those! The next hours are gonna be fun because it'll only get warmer. 

Nevertheless, Tabitha technically sprints to every stone pile along the way for those hot hours, gathering hidden odd looks from every clone in her immediate proximity. 

By the time they start to set up camp a click away from the nearby village, in a large cavity of a heavily vegetated mountain, surrounded by more trees, she has garnered the necessary amount of pebbles. 

Now, she has to hand them out. 

Would be an easy job if she had the power to stand up.  
But her feet are so sore! And her legs hurt! And she's tired!  
Her whole body feels like a limp sack of potatoes.  
Surely one or two minutes on this cool, rough rock won't hurt. 

Booted footsteps against solid stone have her eyelids blinking open again, revealing the rocky cave ceiling bathing in the soft afternoon sunlight. When even did she close them? 

Luckily, she didn't fall asleep. On a rock. Again. That would have been awkward. At least Cody and Rex aren't here. Or Waxer and Boil. 

"Are you alright, Commander Flux?" That is Commander Grey entering her murky line of sight and peering down at her. Owlishly, she blinks up at him while her sluggish brain puts his scrambled words back together. When it finally does, she coaxes her muscles to move herself into a seated position instead of being a sprawled starfish on land. With a groan turned yawn, Tabitha rubs her from exhaustion burning eyes before blearily looking back at the clone Commander.  
"You can call me Tabitha, Grey." The padawan declares sleepily, scooching a bit to the side to offer some space for the probably bone-tired soldier.  
"... Copy that. So, are you alright, Tabitha?" Tentatively, Grey takes a seat and sets his helmet beside him.  
"Yup. Just tired, is all. Bet everyone is." Her sentences are a bit hacked but comprehensible. That's a win.

Grey hums affirmatively, casting his brown eyes around the cavity his men are efficiently setting up tents and equipment in. Not extremely comfortable but protected and hidden. A good spot to rest for tonight and tomorrow.  
That's more than they'd have out in the jungles. 

But that's not exactly why he sought out the fourteen-year-old Padawan, he remembers when his sight lands on the spot a certain brown-haired padawan not quite fled from.  
"I was wondering. Have you found out what's been bothering Caleb lately? Today seems to have been even worse." 

Had it? Tabitha hadn't seen him all day, so she wouldn't know but it makes sense. His birthday's only two days away now. Going with that line of thought, tomorrow should be even worse.  
Regarding the very concerned clone next to her, Tabitha discerns that it's time to tell him. Perhaps he can even help her handing out the stones and all that.  
"His birthday is in two days."  
Grey's eyebrows draw together in confusion. Is that a bad thing?  
"It's his first away from the temple and his friends there. And as if that isn't bad enough, chances are getting extremely high that we'll be engaging the Seppies that day." 

It takes a moment for the meaning of that to dawn on him. When it does, his reaction is identical to hers when Master Billaba told her. His mouth shapes a silent 'Oh' and understanding creeps into his eyes.  
"But."  
All signs of exhaustion erased from existence, Tabby chimes in before Grey can get too caught up worrying about it. She folds her legs under her and pushes her body around to face the man. Unclipping her hip pouch, she proceeds.  
"I am planning to make him a gift that will most definitely cheer him." She lets the jam-packed bag clunk down on the boulder, opens it, and sifts through the numerous stones for the datapad at the bottom she used for her design sketches.  
In the meantime, the black-haired man opposite her sneaks a peek into the bag.  
"Stones?"  
Tabitha doesn't respond and keeps fishing for the pad. A jubilant noise escapes her mouth as she jerks it free and thumbs it on. Immediately, she thrusts the datapad into his hands and begins eagerly explaining.  
"Not the stones. Arm braces and shoulder pads lined with them. I'm planning to give everyone one stone this evening, so they can 'personalize' them until tomorrow. Then I'll work on ingraining 37 into each piece of armor. That way, it'll be a gift from all of us. And I believe that'll make Caleb feel way better even though we're gonna have to fight."

Grey is still looking over her designs while listening to Tabitha's excited rant.  
Admittedly, they're unpolished but thought through from A to Z. Everything required for preparation is jotted down in a neat list and the method to work the stones into the armor and protect them natural forces, has clearly been researched. In the HoloNet predictably.  
Other than that, it's a nice gift and spends a little bit of protection.

Very thoughtful of the older padawan. In more than one way.  
However, she could use help, or even handing out all of those stones will take hours. Besides, she looks dead on her feet already. 

"How about I lend you a hand, Commander? I'll take half of the stones, hand 'em out, and tell my men what to do and why. You do the same with the other half. I'll also get someone to see if we got the armor parts in his size and the tools. How does that sound?" He suggests, holding out the datapad for her to grab.  
Hope and gratitude ignite in her eyes as she wraps her fingers around the side of the pad. "Really? That would be great! Thank you, Grey."  
"No need to thank me. I'll go grab a bag and get back to you." He waves of and pushes himself off the rock, grabbing his helmet at the same time.  
"Okay, but remember: Keep it a secret from Caleb. I wanna surprise him."

With a two-fingered salute, the commander sets off to locate a bag and Styles and leaves the female padawan to wait for his return. 

'Now, I only need to find a way to get into the village, get a nice gift box to store the armor in, and a birthday treat. Easy!'  
_________

It really was easy.  
Unexpectedly, nothing went wrong despite her literally inviting the disaster in by jinxing it. 

But Lady Luck and the Force seem to be on her side this time.

Yesterday evening went off without a hitch. Grey and Tabitha had divided the company into two. Squad-wise so it wouldn't be difficult to keep track of who already got a stone.  
They were done in under three hours.  
If there was a world record in handing out stones to 144 people, they would have surely broken it. 

Also, everyone was eager to do their part for Caleb's present. They really want to see him smile again, especially on his birthday, and that is the most endearing thing she's ever witnessed. 

Throughout the day, Captain Styles will try to get ahold of the required equipment and armor. Grey assured her that by the evening, they'll have what is needed. 

Afterward, she went to Obi-Wan and Master Billaba to finally tell them about the present and give them their pebbles.  
While she was wildly motioning with her hands and devotedly relaying what she had planned, Obi-Wan had that soft look in his eyes he always wore when she'd do something seemingly… adorable in his eyes.  
Don't ask her.  
Master Billaba had been intrigued by her efforts and maybe thankful? To be honest, she was so lost in her explanation, she didn't quite catch everything from the other two Jedi.  
Attention span of a dog, remember? 

In any case, they had both agreed to have their stone decorated by next day evening in good grace and when Tabitha sheepishly asked for permission to visit the village during their day of rest and strategizing, their only condition was that she'd take two troopers with her.  
There's no way to tell how far the droids strayed from their base of operations in the valley. They need to maintain stealth and Obi-Wan doesn't want her to go wandering around the woods and an unfamiliar settlement alone. However, he couldn't accompany her. Duties and all. 

Talk about a protective master.  
Might be partially Tabby's fault though. Oops!  
….  
Nevermind, moving on.

Before going to bed, she asked around who would be willing to go 'intel-gathering' with her in the village. Two clones named Big-Mouth and Soot volunteered off the bat and they agreed to start hiking sometime after 'breakfast'. If you can call those tacky rations breakfast. 

Now, that she thinks about, she should buy Big-Mouth and Soot something good to eat. As a sign of thanks, in a way. Obi-Wan lent her enough credits to do that and get what she came here for, soooo yeah. She'll do that afterward!

Right now, the three of them are walking through busy streets, weaving around dozens of gossiping mothers and revised workers. All the while, the two clones behind her crack jokes about the people they're passing, doing bad impressions, and overly exaggerated gestures. 

They're clearly enjoying this.  
They remind her a bit of Boil and Waxer. Or Fives and Echo. Apparently, every company and battalion in the entire GAR has at least one dynamic duo.  
'Good to know.' She thinks as she chuckles into her hand at the terrible Coruscanti fake accent Big-Mouth is displaying. Even Ahsoka's is better than that. And hers is trash.

This village is nothing like Coruscant or the capital of Dirahn.  
The people here seem unburdened. Like the war is thousands of lightyears away. Which is technically true. As a core world, the real fighting from mid-rim and outer rim almost never reaches them. If they knew a Separatist base is located only one mountain away…. Let's just say it wouldn't be pretty. However, the shielding from war and everything coming with it causes them to not even recognizing the padawan and the clones walking in their midst.  
Besides the people though, barely any speeders fly over the dirt roads and the simplistically designed buildings aren't especially high. The highest she saw was about three or four stories tall. 

Yet, despite that, the streets are still full enough to make finding the right stores hard. Her smaller-than-average height isn't helping matters, by the way. At this point, she's relying more on the clones' eyes to guide them into the direction of the marketplace. They might be shamelessly joking around but there's no doubt in Tabby's mind that they've already analyzed every civilian before she's even seen them. 

"Hey, Commander." Tabitha looks over to Soot who has tapped her onto the shoulder to get her attention.  
"Yeah?"  
Soot jabs a thumb to the left, down the side street chipping off from the main road, lined with more small buildings. Anyhow, the street is emptier and pretty straightforward, therefore the object of Soot's regard sticks out like a sore thumb.  
"There are a couple stands back there who seem to be selling all kinds of stuff. Maybe we'll find a box there." The clone's voice speaks of bafflement and makes his brother gaze at it with the same sense of curiosity.  
"A yard sale. Excellent." Tabby exclaims and makes a beeline for the side street with a jovial skip in her step. She's only seen a yard sale once or twice in real life but they usually sell all sorts of junk. A small storage box shouldn't be hard to find. 

Tabitha doesn't notice the stumped look passing between the two men behind but she feels a small spark of confusion in the Force surrounding the two clones.  
"A what?" Big-Mouth questions to her right.  
The urge to slap herself in the face because of her nescience is strong. Of course, they wouldn't know about that kind of stuff. It's not like Kamino and Coruscant are known for their amazing yard sales.  
Instead of slapping herself, she tips her index finger against her chin once, thinking. She deems walking backward safe and swivels around to face the confused clones.  
Glancing over her shoulder to make sure she's not about to bump into something or someone, Tabby spurts out a short explanation. "A yard sale. It's a common thing in villages and small towns but you won't find it in any larger city. Like Aldera for example. They're not professional markets, though. Mostly civilians set them up after they've tidied their home and found old things they have no use for anymore. However, they don't want to throw 'em away which is why they sell them out on the street."  
"But if it's useless stuff, why would someone else buy it?" Soot scrutinizes, taking in the sight of wildly arranged market stalls in a rare open plaza a few feet ahead.  
After stumbling over her own two left feet one time too many, Tabby huffs quietly, curses her clumsiness, and spins back around to face forward.  
"To be frank with you, Soot, that I don't know." Tabby admits readily as they enter the relatively empty plaza with a handful of wooden stalls. Well, it is during working hours right now, so it's unlikely they'll find many shoppers around. Good for them!  
Behind her, she hears a quiet harrumph, although she believes it's more at the waste of money than at the lack of reason. Her assumption is proven correct when depreciating grumbling reaches her ears about wasteful civilians, followed closely by a sharp thwack and a muttered curse.  
Snorting, the raven-haired girl ignores all further bickering from Big-Mouth and Soot and takes to their surroundings. 

The tables are lined with colorful decorations, kitchen utensils, and workshop tools, their overall state varying from practically new to two millennia ancient. There's a bantha statue carved out of bark colored by a toddler seemingly, judging by the ten thousand shades of colors used. It could also be a gundark, she concludes after some further inspection. Still colored by a three-year-old though, whatever it is.  
No one shall ever know and she shan't even try. 

Passing the first booth, they come to another with unworn clothes, then one with festivity decorations that probably wouldn't function for another day and on the farthest, she can spy decade-old toys and plushies that have long since lost their caretakers. 

After another five minutes of looking around the trashy yard sale, Tabitha's about to call it quits and move back to the main road. Slowly but surely, she's beginning to agree with Soot. This is a waste of everyone's money. The family running this market don't seem to be selling anything of value and certainly no gift box. 

Disappointment leaves her nose in the form of a puff and she uncurls her thin lips from her crunched state. Just then she hears nearby agitated yelling and futile attempts to calm the source of that anger down. "It's kriffing empty! What would I want with an empty, rotting box? It's the ugliest piece of bantha shit in the entire ulong and whoever made it should be put into prison!" The booming voice of a male Nikto reverberates around the area, causing every single head in the plaza to shoot up.  
'A box?'  
A tad bit of shame swirls in her belly, at that having been her first thought while someone else was clearly in peril.  
Their little group simultaneously locks eyes onto the livid alien whose dark brown scales turn crimson red while shouting at an elderly Twi'lek lady dressed in weathered and plain clothes. Despite that and the superior height and build the Nikto shows off with a too-tight black shirt, the woman does not cower away from him. She holds her ground firmly and tries to soothe the man's singing nerves with her soft but brittlely voice.  
"Sir, please calm down. I assure you, I would not have sold you an empty box without telling y-"  
"Yeah, right lot are all the same." He scoffs, unrelentingly spitting angry exclamations into the Twi'lek's face whose lekku are starting to twitch ever so slightly. Her copper eyes are narrowing and her fragile chest heaves with a deep breath. "Sir-" She's interrupted before that one syllable even fully left her mouth.  
"Greedy, old-" 

All of a sudden, Big-Mouth brushes past Tabby's right side who had been on her toes, ready to intervene. Both Soot and her escape alarmed noises as the mouthy clone all but sprints to the scene and puts himself in between the rag Nikto and frustrated Twi'lek. As one gloved hand none too gently pushes the muscled chest of the alien away, an air of unseen authority encompasses the clone and from his lips oozes more seriousness than Tabby's witnessed from him before.  
"Sir, if you aren't planning on buying anything from this nice lady I'd advise you to leave. Now." Big-Mouth grounds out behind gritted teeth and stares the larger Nikto down with a steely glare.  
Tabitha and Soot share a fleeting glance before marching forward to back the pissed off soldier up. While Soot moves to stand shoulder to shoulder with his brother, effectively creating a blockade between the Nikto and his target, Tabby concentrates on the elder woman. "Are you alright, ma'am?" The purplish-skinned Twi'lek nods with a tiny grateful smile on her cracked lips.  
Set at ease, Tabby glares over her shoulder just in time to see the Nikto huff like a provoked predator but thankfully back down under the combined force of two unyielding soldiers. 

Maintaining stealth would have been hard, had he decided to get violent because you can bet, Tabitha wouldn't have idly stood by with her lightsabers right at her hip. This is supposed to be an innocent trip to an outlandish village. No one's supposed to get hurt.

With one last derogatory scowl thrown their way, the behemoth grudgingly stalks off with stomping strides, growling something about 'filthy frauds'.  
Tabitha could only shake her head in chagrin at the man's actions.  
Every time she thought she had figured living beings out, some revolting person came crashing around a corner and took her back to square one.  
Sometimes she thinks, she'll never understand them.

Before her mind can delve further down the 'dark-poetic-path', as she dubbed it, the lady's grateful voice deters her from it.  
"Thank you very much! Who knows what he would've done, had you brave folk not intervened." Looking at Big-Mouth, Tabitha grins and her eyes sparkle with mischief.  
'You started it, you deal with it.'  
The dark-haired man catches the hidden message in her eyes and his own widen for a second before he shifts his weight from one foot to the other nervously. Clearing his throat, he ultimately responds. "Uhm, it was really no problem, ma'am. We only did our duty."  
"Oh, I don't doubt that." The lady smirks, pointedly glancing down at the white-red armor of the two clones before letting her gaze roam over their faces again. "You still have my gratitude."

"Now, is there anything else I could help you with?" She asks kindly, clasping her hands in front of her.  
Before either clone can reply, Tabitha, who has been listening from the side stands up until now, chimes in.  
"Actually, there is. How much does this box cost?" The padawan points to the rectangular shape sitting in the center of the table.  
An aged wooden box with silver linings at the edges and fine coppery vines covering the lid. Perfectly sized to fit four armor parts and a nice balance between extravagant and simple. Exactly what she'd been looking for this whole morning.  
She doesn't know what that Nikto saw in this well-crafted piece of art, but she thinks it's beautiful. There's also something valuable about it. Like it's seen the best and most important parts of someone's life. 

Is this woman even aware of what she's selling?

"Might I ask why?" The Twi'lek implores curiously, regarding Tabby with undivided attention.  
"Oh, of course. A friend of ours celebrates his birthday tomorrow and we were looking for something to put his present in the entire morning. And, well, this box…. It's perfect. The right size, not too much but enough still, and it has this sense of value and joy that makes it… special, I guess." The teenager finishes uncertainly and lets her sight fall back down to the box.  
The older lady perks up, a joyous smile spreading across her wrinkled face.  
"Well, what coincidence that is." She chuckles hoarsely and continues.  
"You see, young lady, this box has been made by my dear husband. For the exact same purpose, you want to use it for. However, he asked me to sell it here. He said it was time to let others 'cherish this box and what it entails.' That cryptic old man." The Twi'lek laughs and reaches for the box. Her slightly quivering hand brushes over the intricately crafted lid.  
"Sadly, I cannot give it away for free. We are in too much need of the credits. Yet, I can propose you an offer: 10 credits and the promise that whomever this box goes to, it will make them as happy as it did me." Tabby's a bit shocked. She did not expect to be told a life story whilst buying a gift box. And certainly, not one that featured an old man Master Yoda would've been great friends with.  
She realizes she hasn't answered yet as she blinks into the lady's steady maroon eyes. Tabitha would've paid the whole prize for the box and its stunning design, and opens her mouth to say so. However, it snaps shut with an audible click when the Twi'lek lady lifts a hand and shakes her head disapprovingly. "No objections. This box was crafted specifically for birthdays. It would be shameful of me to request more. And it's a token of gratitude for helping me out."  
"...a-alright." The young girl stutters, knowing better than to pick up lost battles. "I-I promise, we'll make our friend happy."  
She says as she fishes ten credits out of the pocket of her tunic and places them on the table. With deliberate gentleness, the box is lifted from the tabletop and held out. Without wasting time, Tabitha takes into her own hands just as carefully. 

The wood under her fingers is smooth, without cracks or splinters. Even the metal ornaments show no signs of scratches or dents. They shine and shimmer in the light of the sun just as they would have once freshly crafted. The pair must have taken real good care of this box and now they are just giving it away like that. For the sake of others, nonetheless. 

"Thank you." Tabitha says earnestly, tearing her vision away from the surprisingly light crate in her hands.  
"You are very welcome, young lady." The Twi'lek nods in humble acknowledgment before casting her eyes to the side momentarily. "I fear, I must attend to the other stands now. It was a pleasure meeting you lot."  
"Likewise. We better get going, too."  
"You do that. I wish you good luck and a wonderful day."

"You too, ma'am." The group says in unison and watches the old woman stroll away with satisfied elegance for a moment.  
"That was… something." Soot murmurs under his breath, eyeing the distancing figure one last time, and Tabby can't help but agree. Way more excitement than she thought there would be on their little shopping trip.  
At least, they got what they come for, she thinks as she grins down at the polished box in her hands and hooks it under her right arm. 

Swirling around, Tabby faces her clone companions and makes a dramatic hand motion to the side street connecting the plaza to the main road. "Box: Check. Next up: a small cake. Let's find a bakery."  
Speaking of.  
"By the way, I'm getting us something to eat, too. Because I don't know about you, but I sure as hell have had enough of those ration packs!" Tabitha declares grumpily and squeezes through the gap between the two clones. Murmured agreements erupt from their mouths as they follow the Jedi padawan back the way they came. The tiny, childish smiles and their delight at her sudden declaration are palpable not only in the Force but also in the companionable silence settling between the trio, as the clones dream about delicious pastries fresh out of the oven.

They end up buying a piece of a tasty looking chocolate cake for Caleb upon Big-Mouth's annotation that the boy loved sweets, especially chocolate. After politely asking for it and explaining their situation, they even got a cooling container from the kind bakery owner. Understandably, for a small price increase.  
For themselves, they have gotten Kanali Wafers (Soot), Kessinnamon rolls (Big-Mouth) and Crumblebuns (Tabby). Mutually agreeing not to tell anyone else, they contently munch on their sweet pastries and spend another hour aimlessly sauntering around town. Not without purpose, however. They eavesdrop on a few unsuspecting inhabitants for more detailed information about the area and keep on the lookout for some sort of Separatist movement. 

Turning up empty-handed and incredibly bored, the trio triumphantly trudges back through Dirahn's flora toward the Republic camp, box, and container in hand.  
As noon rolls around, they do too. Shortly after their intentionally sneaky arrival, they deposit their purchases in a hidden spot near Tabitha's sleeping berth and eventually part ways.  
After all, they still have stones to embellish!  
Which is what Tabby does as the afternoon comes and goes in haste. 

Her selected design resembles something from her homeworld. Chrysanthemum. Composite flowers native to Alderaan that grows there in all sizes and colors. The hues span from yellow to pink to bright red mixed with white. Gorgeous little things! Bail once brought a whole bouquet with him back to Coruscant and during one of her frequent visits to his office, she'd been mesmerized by the vivid portrayal of color. Seeing that, the senator had told her about the roundish flowers and what they mean on their shared homeworld. The chrysanthemum symbolizes support, which can turn into friendship. Especially yellow and kelly green ones, since they represent happiness and reliability. 

So that's how she colors the little carved plants. Five in total, three citron-yellow and two kelly green. The next step is lacquering the finished artwork so the weather and climate won't affect the paint. Fortunately, the necessary varnish has been going around their base all day and therefore locating it isn't difficult. 

Ten minutes later, her stone is done and at around that time, the first ones from the company arrive. Once Captain Styles manages to get his hands on the tools, they can put the finishing touches to Caleb's present. 

It's all working swimmingly!

By the time, Dirahn's ethereal moon stands at its highest, they have finished the bulk of the work in a secluded spot outside their cavity. They meaning herself and about 11 clone troopers who enlisted their help with completing the armor. Advantageous because it opens up the opportunity to switch shifts every hour, letting the two unoccupied groups catch some shut-eye.  
It shouldn't be overlooked they still a battle to look forward to. Drowsiness could get them killed.  
So one group would just wake the next up when the one-hour-mark was hit and they'd do the same after another hour. Fortunately, it took only three hours in total to ingrain all 148 individually painted stones. 

Gazing down at the finished gift sitting in its rightful place in the morning, Tabitha feels accomplished. 

'It's done and just on time', she smiles to herself and shuts the complexly featured lid with a soft click.  
_________

Box clasped tightly between her hands, Tabitha nears the edge of the camp with measured steps. Her bright eyes fix on the lanky back of the only other padawan around, taking in his slouched posture and hanging head. Caleb's whole body language basically screams conceded defeat into the faces of those passing by whereas his force signature is just kinda lethargic and grey.  
'Well, this will hopefully change that.' Tabby prays while glimpsing down at the brownish-red iron vines overgrowing the top of the box.  
Temporarily, the teenage girl backward speed and takes one steadying breath before resuming her silent pace. 

A couple of feet away from the younger boy, Tabby sets the box down on the ground without making a sound and crosses the rest of the way empty-handed. Caleb doesn't notice her arrival. At least, he gives no indication he does so. Sure, she's been deliberately silent but he should've been able to feel her presence behind him. He must be more stuck in his head than she imagined. Good thing she has training and experience in that area.  
Purposely being noisy as she steps to Caleb's right, the usually dreamy teen positions herself at the edge of his vision. It has the intended effect because the next second the other padawan's head snaps up to hers, greenish-blue eyes wide as saucers.  
Scratching her right thigh nervously, Tabby dips her head down and to the side slightly. "Hey, Caleb." She greets faux casually. "Would you mind if I sit with you for a bit?"  
Caleb needs approximately ten seconds to startle out of whatever trance he is in and respond with a hasty bob of his head. Choking down an amused chuckle and disguising it as a light, approving smile, Tabitha sits down next to the cross-legged boy. 

Before she does so, she sees the growing crowd in the background, observing them. Under them their masters.  
'Eh, alright... Just focus, Tabby. Blend them out.' If she doesn't she'll start fidgeting and stammering. Too much attention, and all.

Turning her back on the waiting crowd, she loosely hugs her knees to her chest and gazes at the rising sun over the distant horizon. In the corner of her eye, she notices Caleb looking at her questioningly but waits for him to take the initiative and approach her. Not because she has some semblance of a plan. Quite the contrary, actually. She's hoping for openings to ease into the subject. Just thrusting the box into his hands seems inappropriate and rude.

Caleb doesn't disappoint and questions her intention behind the unexpected visit.  
"Is there something you needed, Tabitha?" His tone's polite. Too polite to be real. It's a sloppily put in place mask. One that can't conceal the glaringly obvious little quirks, like the excessive fidgeting in place and the slight downturn of the corners of his lips, visualizing his desire to be left alone.  
And she gets it. She truly does. Sometimes, you just don't feel like putting up with anyone else and their overbearing personalities. Especially on a crappy day, that's only served you bantha poodoo on a silver plate.  
However much she'd like to just give him what he wants, she also knows: Staying in your head for too long can result in some serious issues. Besides, she has a purpose and a promise to fulfill.

"Nah, just thought you could use the company." Tabby utters as unconvincingly as humanly possible, conspicuously side-eyeing him to make it obvious she's lying. Expectedly, he doesn't buy it in the least and eyes her skeptically. Yet, he voices none of his skepticism and averts his head, looking back into the distance.  
Okay, she honest-to-the-Force anticipated Caleb to be a bit more outright. 

'Guess not.'  
Creating her own opening it is then.  
"Actually..." Trailing off, Tabby unwraps her arms from around her legs and stretches them out in front of her. She leans forward to catch Caleb's kinda, sorta exasperated eyes and cracks a lopsided grin. "There is something you could do for me."  
Caleb seems hesitant but agrees nonetheless. What a kind soul. "Sure. What do you need?"  
"Close your eyes!" Tabitha orders playfully, suddenly a lot more joyous and confident.  
A dumbfounded "Huh?" eloquently rolls off his tongue.  
"You heard me. Close your eyes!" She jumps to her feet avidly and plants herself firmly in front of Caleb's crossed legs, gazing down at him. The seated boy frowns in confusion. "Why?"  
'Ah, there's the openness!'  
"Oh, come on, don't be a spoilsport. Just trust me! I promise it's nothing bad."  
The older girl signs a vague cross over her heart and almost squeals in delight when she hears the brunette boy sigh and grumble "Kriff it." In the next second, his mildly distrustful eyes flutter closed and Tabitha swiftly skips over to the box Caleb somehow hasn't noticed. Although, judging by his lack of environmental awareness before, she shouldn't be surprised, should she?  
As she bends down to pick the box back up again, she hears the birthday boy's impatient voice call for her. "Can I open them now?"  
"Nooo. Only when I tell you to, obviously." She deadpans and rights herself again, hefting the package up gently. Once back in front of Caleb, Tabby places his present before him, its silver hasp facing him.  
Bouncing up and down in excitement, Tabitha readies herself for whatever reaction she's about to get. "Now!"

Caleb's eyelids slowly unfold and squint against the bright light, only for his eyeballs to bulge out of their sockets when they focus on the gift. Stupefaction is written in every nonexistent line of his youthful face as he gawks and Tabitha just can't suppress the chuckle.  
"You know, a little porgie told me it's your 13th birthday today. Sooo, we made you a little something!" Tabitha elaborates when still no comprehension brightened up his features. Stupefaction makes place for shock and Tabitha revels in it. He hasn't reacted badly so far, so that's a plus.  
"Wait. We?!" The thirteen-year-old stutters. "Yes." Tabitha accentuates the syllable by not-quite-slapping her hands onto his shoulders and forcefully encouraging him to turn around. "We." The crowd is now positively consisting of everyone and the very moment Caleb has turned fully, loud cheers of congratulations erupt from their mouths. They morph into one big, happy mess of "Happy birthday, Caleb!", but what really brings joy to her own heart is the audible gasp from the boy and the light rejuvenating his eyes. A smile stretches across her face, from cheek to cheek, while Caleb's mouth tries to form words.  
'Quite literally speechless.'

Finally, he croaks one single word. "How?" It's spoken so softly, it can only be addressed to her since the exhilaration from the crowd is very much full-throated that them hearing it is next to impossible.  
"A girl never tells her secrets." The sportive girl warns, pressing a finger against her pale lips. Pushing away from the boy with her hands still placed on his thin shoulders, Tabitha straightens her back and crosses her arms.  
"Now, I do believe you still got a gift to open." She says and scooches the box back in front of him with her right foot. "Go ahead." 

The ruckus fades into anticipating silence as Caleb reaches for the hasp with deliberate movements. The anticipation spikes up another ten notches as the top swings open to reveal the inside. 

Later, when all of this was over and you'd ask her what she thought to be the best moment, she would reply without a doubt in her mind: The moment the lid thumps against the dusty ground and Caleb literally freezes. She's not even sure if he's breathing or not. He's just sitting there completely unmoving and gaping as thick expectancy settles upon their camp like a blanket and everyone waits patiently for Caleb to find his mobility and/or words.  
He doesn't for good two minutes and every second of them feels like a small eternity. Excruciatingly long but fleeting all the same. During the same two minutes, Tabby can feel her uncertainty kicking in and whispering unreasonable fears into her ears. Maybe he doesn't like it. Maybe it's too much. Maybe, maybe, maybe. But than she catches a flicker in his vibrant eyes. Elation. Pure, unadulterated, unfiltered elation ignites in his eyes and a smile brightens up his face. A sight she's never seen in the four days they've known each other and welcomes with open arms. 

"Happy birthday, Caleb." Tabitha conveys her own congrats to the paralyzed boy as she lowers herself to the ground beside him again.  
The soft-spoken sentence seems to shake him out his long-lasting stupor. Slowly but surely, he takes one of the expertly improved (if she's allowed to say so herself) arm braces out of the special gift box. Tracing the stones in the armor lightly, the male padawan comes to a stop at a pebble Tabitha directly recognizes as his master's. A simple but meaningful infinity symbol that Tabby dares not interpret. The multiply colored sign could represent everything or just one thing only those two know about.  
Ultimately, it doesn't matter because it's none of her business.  
Caleb knows exactly who designed that stone if his tiny glance at the grinning face of Master Billaba is anything to go by. 

Tabitha decides she needs to throw something out there, anything to keep the tension in her own system from rising or she'll implode.  
"I sincerely hope you like them. We all gave it our best to make it special for you."  
"I-I…." The boy huffs and forces himself to take a lengthy breath. "I just don't know what to say. They're… they're great!"  
For the first time in the last five minutes, Caleb looks at her and in his aqua eyes she can see how overjoyed he really is as clear as the blue sky above them. Not every ounce of it can express itself in physical mannerisms, though, but in Tabby's opinion a smile that reaches his eyes is enough. 

His resting frown is gone, replaced by a happy display of teeth. That has been her goal all along, therefore:  
'Mission accomplished.'

"I'm glad." She mumbles under her breath, relief relaxing her muscles and allowing her to lean back on her hands.  
Caleb resumes his awed inspection and Tabby watches with a pleasant sense of pride burning at the bottom of her heart. His nimble fingers run over the numerous pebbles enclosed in the red-white armor as if memorizing their their texture. 

Some of them have carved symbols just like her own or even words in them (a few in basic, a few in Mando'a).  
Then there's others simply painted in a variety of colors that mean something in Mandalorian culture such as blue, brown, yellow, white and rarely even pink.  
Although she can't, for the love of her, remember what they all mean. Blue on an armor means reliability, she believes, and brown valor.  
Perhaps she'll ask Cody about the others one day.  
Anyways, while those stones have mostly been left in the original shape she found them in two days ago, a handful and then some were reformed into petite detailed silhouettes of sorts.  
Obi-Wan's is one of those but it's not some figure, just rounded off to compliment what he graved into. And let her tell you, it's absolutely lovely. Tabitha would almost envious if the happiness for Caleb wouldn't outweigh it.  
Imagine a padawan braid like their own, curled into an endless whirl, the beads adorning it representing hundreds of adventures and acquaintances.  
This time, Tabitha knows exactly what the design means. Her master made it, after all. It's supposed to spend courage and hope for a copious future.  
Considerate from the Jedi Master. Also, surprisingly professionally made. Who knew the man is secretly an engraver…. Or maybe not but that is just too funny to not use against at some juncture in the future.

Anywho, not everyone is an exceptional artist, although some of the clones are talented beyond comprehension. Their stones are compressed masterpieces.  
But that's beside the point.  
The beauty of this gift doesn't lie within the quality. It lies within the individuality of the stones. In 148, there is not one resembling another.  
And that makes it memorable. At least, for her. 

Caleb might feel the same, though. His face kind of gives off the impression, you know. Okay, his Force signature is more of a tell and easier to read. That's why she guesses he feels the same. 

Caleb's (adorably) pitched voice pulls her off her train of thought and back to reality where her fellow padawan has pulled out a shoulder pad and the others have joined them in a circle on the floor while she hasn't been paying attention.  
"Are these..." He trails off again but Tabitha knows what he wants to ask.  
"From everyone? Yup. All 145 men present plus your master, my master and myself."  
Just now, Tabitha realizes that mentioned master is sitting right next to her. When the hell did that happen?  
Halting his tender examination, Caleb locks eyes with first her, then their master separately and lastly all of the soldiers. "Thank you." He expresses genuinely, his voice is a bit wobbly and his eyes may be wetter.  
No one mentions it as they observe him carefully put on one armor piece after the other, the exhilarated smile on his face extending with each. Talking breaks out throughout the mass as Tabitha helps Caleb fasten the last strap.  
'Feels like a real party here.' She admits to herself. Normally she doesn't like big parties. Big meaning over twenty people. But this time, she finds she doesn't mind the hundred different people around her. Maybe because it still only feels like a small get-together. Don't ask her how. Perhaps the lack of stuck up officials is at fault. 

"Looks good on you." She teases lightly and smirks upon noticing the slight blush dusting his cheeks as a result. Tabitha can hear her master snort next to her and takes a flick at his arm without looking. Her hit strikes home and she is pleased to hear a teensy hiss in response. 'Hah, deserved.' 

"Now that the present was a full success, there's only one thing missing to make this birthday go down in history!" Soot chimes in loudly out of the blue and everyone's heads whip around to see the clone sergeant weave through the sitting crowd with a small plastic container in hand like a waiter.  
Oh by the Force, she almost forgot about that.

"Right. What would a great birthday be without the most important thing: Cake." On point, Soot theatrically pulls the container open to reveal the piece of chocolate cake, cooled and delicious and sickeningly sweet.  
To her right, she catches a muffled squeak of eternal bliss but to her left, the physical embodiment of dry wit strikes again. "You would say that, Tabby."  
This time, the padawan does specifically aim for the same spot she hit before but the Jedi Master saw that one coming and dodges the hit. Therefore, the teen sticks to glaring at the cheeky ginger. "You know, Master, now I get why Grievous is so grumpy all the time. You are impossible."  
"Why, thanks, my dear padawan. And here I thought you would have noticed that two years ago."  
"I wish. Would've probably saved me a lot of embarrassment. And headaches."  
"Indeed, it would have. Anakin can tell you stories." He seems proud of that statement somehow.  
"Anakin has told me stories. Years ago. And they're not good. Don't be so proud." She grounds out, pointing at him accusingly. Sneakily, one of his hands reaches up behind her back and ruffles her hair, making her jump. Tabby swats at his hand and doesn't pout (no, she definitely does not) when her master laughs at her expense. 

The squabbling pair does not notice the small audience they've attracted. Small being every person in their immediate vicinity who is able to hear them. Nor do they notice the eye roll from Master Billaba (who now knows where Tabitha got the teasing from) or when Caleb starts enjoying his small cake, not letting a petty 'fight' deter him from the chocolate.  
Shortly after, the sitting get-together turns into a real birthday celebration. People talk, joke, exchange stories, etcetera, etcetera. At one point, the proposal to sing a birthday song blazes through the camp like wildfire and somewhere at the far back of the cavity a clone intones one. Soon everyone joined in and their chorus could potentially be heard all the way back to the village.

In the center of it all is Caleb who is very much enjoying the attention. 

Two hours later, Tabitha is situated against the cave wall along with her master, leaning with her back against his side. With one arm slung around her shoulders, Obi-Wan heedfully observes the laughing, smiling boy in the middle of a group of clones and Depa standing beside him, joining in with soft laughter herself at whatever personal story Commander Grey recounted.

'Tabitha certainly outdid herself on this one.' The man thinks with pride and switches his gaze to the teen melted into his side. Somewhere his padawan has gotten her hands on a holobook. Either she grabbed it before they departed from the Negotiator or she borrowed it from one of the troops. Both ways, the girl's love for books has again made one appear out of nowhere a couple minutes ago, after she retreated from the hotspot of the feast. He had joined the lone girl a brief moment later. 

"I am very proud of you, Tabitha." The master pipes up abruptly, instantly startling the raven from the letters on the pad. She cranes her neck to goggle at him as gobsmacked as every other time she receives a compliment or praise.  
"Eh, wha- I mean, ah- thanks, I-I guess." She stutters bashfully. "But what brought that on, Master?"  
"Not everyone can say from themselves that they've single-handedly arranged a spontaneous birthday party for a stranger in less than three days. Even less can claim they did it only to make said stranger happy." Obi-Wan enlightens her as if it should have been obvious  
"I didn't do it on my own, though. Everyone helped. It wouldn't have worked otherwise." Tabitha argues vainly and lets the datapad sink into her lap.  
"Yes, but your devotion and compassion have spurned everyone on. Thanks to that, you made a boy very happy today, Tabitha. That's why I'm proud." Affectionately, he squeezes the forearm his hand can reach in his arm's current position. Finally, his padawan concedes with an achieved but shy upturn of her lips and lets her head fall to his shoulder. 

For a few minutes, they stay like that: The mop of black hair resting against Obi-Wan's shoulder while its owner continues reading through the digital pages of her book and the man himself enjoys the simple peace and quiet. If you can call a friendly celebration quiet.  
Then, the Jedi spies a short brown-haired boy plucking himself away from master and friends and walk into their direction. A curt look at Depa confirms his suspicion.  
'Time to leave the children unattended.'

Nudging the back of Tabitha's head, Obi-Wan grins at the annoyed scowl and wiggles his shoulder. "I hate to disturb you, Little One, but I just remembered there's something I need to talk to Master Billaba about. Would you be so kind and use the wall as a substitute for a backrest."  
"But you're softer!" The teen whines dramatically but shuffles to follow his suggestion.  
Chuckling, Obi-Wan stands up and stretches his muscles. "I feel very appreciated."  
"You should." Tabby responds offhandedly and is already beginning to get absorbed into her book again as her master walks away. 

Seconds later, another pair of footsteps replaces the heavy ones from her master. Lighter, halting ones coming straight for her.  
Upon that note, Tabitha raises her head to see who the new arrival is. 

"Hey, Tabitha?" Caleb approaches her with an ounce of reluctance in his voice. Instantaneously, Tabby turns off the datapad and all but dumps it onto the ground to her left.  
"Caleb. How's your birthday been so far?" She questions invitingly and pats the spot to her right when she notices the constant awkward shifting. The other boy takes the invitation gratefully and plops down next to her. He's silent for a moment, choosing words with which to start, then he speaks.  
"It's one of the best I've ever had yet."  
That takes Tabitha aback.  
'One of the best?'  
"Wow, really?"  
Caleb flashes her a genuine smile and nods vigorously. "Yes, really. I mean, everyone's here and it's so much fun, it's way better than the ones back at the temple. And these." He lifts his left arm and proudly shows off the gifted brace in all its glory. "Are just so cool and definitely special. I doubt I'll ever take them off." The padawan proclaims cheerfully.  
An astounded smile of her own creeps onto her pale features as she recalls the moment she got the idea for the present. She hadn't been too far off when she thought he'd greatly appreciate a gift from them all. She just didn't expect him to grow to love those armor parts in such a brief period of time.

"It's the reason I came to talk to you." Caleb pulls her from her amazement, scratching his neck shyly. "I wanted to thank you. Grey told me you came up with the idea and did most of the preparations. So, yeah, thanks, Tabitha."  
Caught like a deer in headlights, Tabby averts her emerald eyes briefly, finding the amount of sincere gratitude shining in Caleb's overwhelming.  
That's the second person making this look like she did all the work.  
"I couldn't have done it without the others. Everyone helped." She mumbles, lifting her eyes again.  
Caleb nods slowly but still looks at her the same way. "They did. But I already thanked them. I wanted to thank you in person and without everyone watching." That she understands. And the fact that she isn't the only subject of his thankfulness makes her feel a lot better. 

"You know what?" Tabby asks rhetorically with a grin gracing her mouth. "You're happy, right?" Caleb lifts a questioning eyebrow but nods devoid of doubt, nonetheless. "Then you made me keep a promise. That's all the thanks I need." She states and giggles when she notices that the eyebrow doesn't drop. "Huh?"  
"A story for another time." The female grunts as she heaves herself up the wall and into an upright position. Offering a hand to the birthday boy, she proposes: "Let's see what the others are up to and enjoy this as long as possible, shall we?"  
Her offered palm is grabbed firmly and she smoothly pulls the spindly boy to his feet, simultaneously tugging him away from their former seating spot by taking a few cautious steps backwards.  
Once she's sure, Caleb is following, she releases his hand and turns her back on him.  
Only to glimpse over her shoulder again when the younger boy speaks again.  
"I want to hear that story sometime."  
Puffing out a breathy laugh through her nose, she shakes her head amusedly. 

"Of course...  
You will. Someday, when we're both back at the temple."

**Author's Note:**

> Next up: Rako Hardeen.  
> I'll try to update it by next Friday.  
> See you😚


End file.
